SANA’A – Yemen’s Houthis declared naval blockade against Saudi Arabia amid sharp escalation in regional tensions, threatening maritime security in Red Sea.
The group’s military spokesperson declared a “maritime embargo” on Kingdom, saying the measure would take effect immediately under an “eye for an eye” policy. The Houthis argued that the blockade is retaliation for what they describe as Saudi Arabia’s nearly 12-year siege on Yemen through restrictions on its ports, airports, and borders, accusing Riyadh of exploiting the country’s resources while maintaining a comprehensive land, sea, and air blockade.
The announcement comes just days after Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi targets, claiming the attacks were in response to an alleged Saudi strike on Sanaa International Airport. Those strikes shattered nearly four years of relative calm and marked the first publicly claimed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia since an informal truce took hold in March 2022.
The latest confrontation shows sharp collapse in fragile de-escalation that had largely contained direct Saudi-Houthi hostilities since the UN-backed ceasefire. While large-scale fighting subsided in recent years, core disputes over border restrictions, airport operations, port access, unpaid public-sector salaries, and Iran’s support for the Houthis remained unresolved.
The roots of conflict stretch back more than a decade when Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government. The war has since triggered humanitarian crises, devastating the country’s economy and displacing millions of people.
Despite outbreak of wider US-Iran conflict in early 2026, Houthis initially exercised restraint toward KSA. Although closely aligned with Tehran as part of “Axis of Resistance,” the group appeared determined to avoid opening another front with Riyadh while the regional conflict intensified.
Iranian civilian flights resumed to Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport for the first time in nearly a decade in July. One of the flights reportedly transported Houthi delegation returning from events linked to Iran’s Supreme Leader, while Saudi-backed Yemeni authorities raised concerns that the route could also be used to move military personnel or weapons.
Tensions reached a breaking point on July 13, when Saudi-backed government struck the runway at Sanaa Airport to prevent another Iranian aircraft from landing. Officials described the operation as a measure to protect Yemen’s sovereignty and stop suspected Iranian support for the Houthis.
The Houthis, however, blamed Saudi Arabia for the strike, calling it “criminal aggression” and declaring that the period of de-escalation was over. Within days, the group responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Abha International Airport and Saudi military installations in the kingdom’s south, marking the most serious direct confrontation between the two sides since the 2022 truce.
Despite recent attacks, Saudi Arabia refrained from launching major retaliatory campaign, saying Riyadh remains cautious about becoming embroiled in another prolonged conflict. Kingdom is weighing the risks of escalation against the need to protect vital Red Sea shipping routes, safeguard oil exports, and preserve the momentum of its Vision 2030 economic transformation.
